Thursday, August 12, 2010

I Have What???!!!

Okay, so I am going to write about something else that has recently developed in my life. (Well I say "recently," but I think it has been silently lurking for for about a year or so)

I was just diagnosed with high blood pressure or hypertension as it is officially called, but all I hear is stroke, heart attack, diseased arteries etc....... I suspected that I may be having trouble, because over the past year, whenever I went to donate blood, my diastolic pressure (bottom number and the force on the arteries when the heart is at rest) has been in the 90's. And I have always been a 100/60 girl...even during my terrible pregnancies.

Now, I assumed that it was on the higher side due to the chronic stress of being in school, the fact that I had put on around 25 pounds while I was in school, and the fact that I wasn't able to work out as hard as I normally did, prior to being a mommy in college (due to homework).Uhhhhhh....think again. Since school has been out, my stress level has reduced as much as 90%, I have lost 12 pounds, I have been really working out hard, and I have had the time to actually cook dinner, rather than feed myself and my family fast food.

So, imagine my surprise when my blood pressure was 140/100 the other day at the doctors office. 100!!!!!! And I can't even blame it on white coat syndrome, because it was at the office that I worked at for years and with people that I know. After being a nurse for years, I don't get nervous at the doctors office.....

Okay, okay, maybe it is due to genetics???? Maybe. However, hypertension does not run on either side. Oh there are aunts here or uncles there, but they are also smokers, which as you know can significantly increase your risk for developing high blood pressure.

Who knows???? All I know, is that I left the doctors office with a prescription in hand, had it filled and have been taking it ever since. I will continue to exercise and loose weight, and hopefully I can go off of the med once I loose some more weight.

We shall see, but I am not taking this lightly. I am too young to have high blood pressure!!!!In other news, Amber and I have been riding lately. Waska appears to be fully recovered form his bout with laminitis, and is responding well to his new diet. The verdict is still out on him though.............

Oh, and can you tell I have been playing with my photos???? LOL

I have Picasa and edited some of these pictures, which, incidentally, were taken on my hike this morning. My climb-1000 ft-in-one-mile-hike that is getting my hiney in shape and hopefully reducing my blood pressure hike. I have been doing it five days a week for the past month......

Dude is on an adult blood pressure medication for his ADHD. It's been shown to help with anxiety in ADHD kids (or kids that mimic the symptoms) and it seems to be working for him. His bp is checked regularly as well to make sure all is well.

I will second the oatmeal - but go to the health food store and get some of the good clean stuff - oatmeal by nature is gluten free, but most of it is processed in plants where wheat is processed if not on the same machines by the time its all said and done if you are eating the Quaker stuff - or god forbid the flavored stuff you might as well eat a bowl of cream of wheat with a cup of sugar in it and sprinkle oats on top.

Breathe-I know. The havoc that certain dietary choices can wreak on your BP is crazy...lol!!!

Oregon Sunshine-Yes, I hate having to take pills, but I don't really think that I have much choice at this point. It will be interesting to see how I do with additional weight loss. Hopefully I can go off of them completely. : )

Gail-LOL...and no, my feet do not get hot. Sorry I don't have any answers to that mystery. I am taking omega III's (four a day), a vitamin D supplement (as mine is low), and eating organic steel cut oatmeal. Thanks for the advice!!! You should be a doctor. ; )

Val-Hopefully!

Stephanie-Yep...got the organic steel cut stuff that I sweeten with a little bit of agave and add blueberries to. : )

Oh Mellie girl...I am sorry that this has been discovered but glad you have such a can-do approach, to solving it!You are doing all you can..and then some! YEA TEAM WELL MEL!I am glad too that I saw/read about horses in the picture...that is a natural/instant stress relief!! Hope Waska continues to improve.

Bummer about the high blood pressure and meds.I don't have high blood pressure, but I do have 'on the edge' high cholestrol. Nothing bad yet, but I have to keep an eye on it. bah!

I've also, apparently had issues with low thyroid for the past 6 years, but have put off taking any meds. I had a check up a couple weeks ago and it's still struggling to keep up, but I'm not at any dangerous levels, and it's basically stayed the same from my last check up 6 years ago. Weird!

So, I really don't want to take meds, especially since nothing's changed for 6 years and I don't appear to be in any serious danger. But I am pretty sluggish and easily gain weight. I need to lose about 25 lbs right now and I wonder if the meds would help get my thyroid back on track enough to burn some fat and give me more energy...what to do!?!

And like you, I was also told I'm low on Vit D. How does That happen when I spend so much time outside? Do I need to run aroud naked so the sun hits more of my skin? lol!

Oh man....it sure stinks gets older, doesn't it?

I wish we lived closer so we could go hiking together, and riding, too. :(

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About Me

Formerly known as the busy mom behind Horses, Kids, and Homework, I felt the need to reinvent my blog, as I am no longer a displaced student. I am now an actual bonafide social worker with a real job in the real world. I am still a wife, mother, and lover of all things equine, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. I hope that you will continue to follow me as I stumble through this thing called life.